Folding crab traps are a recent innovation that is changing the face of crabbing from crab docks and the sandy shore. The Crab Max Crab Trap is made in Lincoln City by two handicaped men, Bill Paterek and his blind buddy Merl. The Crab Max was named in honor of Bill's dog, Max.

The Crab Max Trap is easily the finest folding crab trap on the market today. Made from high quality materials the Crab Max crab trap is easily used with a hand line with our exclusive, "T Handle" used to deploy the trap upto 100 feet into the sub-tidal areas of the bay. You will be taking crabs from our bays long after you have thrown other traps away. The useofhand lines is exclusive to Crab Max.

Click on the photograph to view a short video clip of the Dungeness crabs caught in Siletz Bay using Crab Max crab traps.

Click on the sculpture of the Chinook salmon to view a video clip of our free crabbing class on Siletz Bay showing a couple with their first legal Dungeness crab ever. The video shows participants deploying the Crab Max crab traps into Siletz Bay.

Crabbing in Yaquina Bay, Bill Lackner displays two of 14 large red rock crabs he caught off the Bay Street Pier using a Crab Max folding crab trap and a surf rod. Bill caught lots of Dungeness crabs but they were either larger females or males that were 1/4 to 1/16 of an inch too short to keep.

It is common to catch up to 3 legal sized crabs at a time when the crabs are in the bays; however, I used only 1 Crab Max with a hand line to take the 3 legal Dungeness crabs shown below from the Coast Guard Pier in Winchester Bay. Three Dungeness crabs were all I needed to make a wonderful Crab Louie for my wife and I while we were camped at nearby Eel Lake.

The CRAB MAX is innovative by design and easy to use. The CRAB MAX comes equipped with 100 feet hand line with our exclusive, "T Handle". Compare and consider the difference in the photos below. A 5 gallon bucket, a Crab Max crab trap and bait versus the wheel barrow and all the other stuff.

Truly versatile, the Crab Max is compact and easy to use with a hand line of surf rod

Click on the photo to view the video clip of our crabbing adventure to Siletz Bay during the vernal equinox.

The photo above demonstrates the importance of crabbing durring the vernal equinox of the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. Crabbing from the north shore was a planned event to see if we enjoyed the same level of success that we experienced at the vernal equinox of the summer solstice. The Equinoxes is when the sunlight shines equally on both the southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere. The crabs were taken by my friend, Dustin and myself using the Crab Max folding crab traps baited with turkey necks, wings, legs and chicken legs. Ultimately, we retained 22 hard shell barnacle encrusted crabs. We returned 9 plus soft shell legal sized male crabs to the water. Our success of taking limits of Dungeness yesterday, September 23 exceeded our expectations!!!

Crab catch capacity and high quality materials is the measure that separates the Crab Max from other folding crab traps. The 18 inch dimension really pays off when crabbing is hot as shown in the video clip of crabbers on the beach at Siletz Bay. It is not unusual to catch 3 or more keeper sized Dungeness crabs per pull. Click HERE to see the price list or to purchase the CRAB MAX.

We recommend using the Crab Max with the hand lines over any other method when crabbing from a crabbing dock or from the sandy shore. Using a Crab Max with a hand line is the most cost effective method to take crabs from the Oregon shore. Using a Crab Max is easier for women and kids to crab than using other methods.

To use the crab max with the hand line uncoil the hand line then reverse coil the hand line back toward the wooden handline holder. Open the trap by sliding the ball bearing swivel off of the bait pin. Unfold the crab trap. Open the bait clip by silding the bait pin sleeve of the the bait pin. Insert the bait pin through a chicken leg. Fasten the bait pin containing the chicken leg to the trap by sliding the bait pin sleeve over the bait pin. Step on the wooden line holder, grasp the hand line by the T Handle and look behind you to ensure the area is clear. Spin the crab trap several times in an elliptical orbit and throw the crab trap into the water. When crabbing is good wait for 5 minutes before pulling the Crab Max crab trap filled with all sizes of Dungeness Crabs. Well, when crabbing is slow wait longer and read a book, fish, picnic or record your crabbing adventure with your family and friends with photos or on video. Wear gloves when deploying or retrieving the Crab Max crab trap to prevent injuring you fingers.

The CRAB MAX shown below in the open position with a white hand line is a proven folding crab trap that outperforms conventional crab rings and other folding crab traps. Click HERE to see the order information to purchase the CRAB MAX.

Crab Max crab traps are available through our Websites or one of our scheduled Crab Clinic classes sponsored each spring and summer by the Driftwood Library and the Lincoln City Visitor's Bureau and at various retail outlets along the Oregon coast from Brooking to Astoria.

The price for 1 Crab Max crab trap with a hand line is $32.00 ea plus the shipping and handling charge based on your zip code. The shipping and handling charge varies from 8.75 for residents of Oregon and Washington and $9.75 for residents of California and Idaho and increasing amounts for residents of other states.

OR take advantage of the Crab Max Special consist of 3 crab max crab traps, 3 hand lines, 1 premium crab gage and 1 wooden crab mallet for $94.00 plus shipping and handling charge. Making a gift of Crab Max Special to a child is a gift that will last a lifetime.

The shipping and handling charge applies to the first crab trap ordered only. Save the shipping and handling charge by picking up the traps and hand lines at my home at 136 SW Brook ST. Newport, Or 97365, 541-265-5847 or while attending one of our FREE 2016 crabbing or clamming clinics.

Not only is the Crab Max folding crab trap with hand line the most cost effective method used to take crabs from the shore of Oregon's bays it is the most productive. Consider that crabbing from the shore with folding crab traps has become the primary recreational activity for many families.

Hand Lines

Hand lines with our exclusive, "T Handle" are the most efficient way to use the Crab Max, especially for women and children. Not only are hand lines the most efficient they are the most economical. We recommend to crabbers using fishing poles to cast their Crab Max to order hand lines as backup should the fishing rods fail. The hand lines are also purchased by crabbers who use them on other brands of folding crab traps. The cost of the hand lines is $11.00 per Tuna Cord hand line plus $6.80 shipping and handling charge. Click HERE to see the information for ordering Hand Lines.

Click HERE to see the product and pricing information for the Crab Max crab traps and the other fine products we sell.

Crab Mallet

The wooden crab mallet is a recent addition to our family of products. My wife and grandsons use our crab mallets whenever we shake and pick large numbers of crabs. Using a crab mallet in conjunction with shaking crab will cut your crab picking time to minutes rather than hours.

The crab mallet is used to humanly kill the crabs by turning the crab over onto it's back and striking the crab at the point of its abdominal flap humanly killing the crab before backing, cleaning and cooking the crabs. Killing and backing the crabs prior to cooking them offers the crabber several advantages: it reduces occurance of accidents when adding live crabs to a pot of boiling water, eliminates contact with the crab butter and internal organs thereby reducing exposure to marine toxins, exposes the crab meat to the flavor of spices added to the boiling water such as those found in Crab Boil and is a real time saver when cooking large numbers of crabs.

$4.00 per mallet is a great price for this time saver. The shipping cost of a $1.95 applies to the first crab mallet only. Divide the work by having 3 or 4 on hand when it is time to shake the multiple limits of crabs that you, your family members and friends caught.

The crab mallet can be used to humanly kill crabs by turning the crab over onto it's back and striking the crab at the point of its abdominal flap. $3.00 per mallet is a great price for this time saver. The shipping cost of a $1.95 applies to the first crab mallet only. Divide the work by having 3 or 4 on hand when it is time to shake the multiple limits of crabs that you, your family members and friends caught.

Click HERE to see the product information for our Crab Max crab traps and crab mallet.

Crab Gage

The Oregon, Washington and California crab gage is a new item to our product line for $2.50 plus $2.30 shipping and handling charge. Order a half a dozen to reduce the cost of the shipping and handling charge. Click HERE to see the product information for our Crab Max crab catchers, crab mallet and crab gage.

Oregon's Crabs

Learn how to take crabs from Oregon's Coastal Waters. Oregon's Crabs is the complete color guide to taking Dungeness and red rock crabs on the Oregon' Coast. The 80 page book, Oregon's Crabs, describes the cyclical movement of crabs from our bays, identifies the most productive baits and the most innovative and productive methods used to take crabs from Oregon's Coastal waters using crab pots, crab rings, crab snares and the most effective Crab Max folding crab trap.

Dungeness crabs taken from the North Shore of Siletz during the incoming tide at 3:00 am met our expectations. Bill

The Book includes:

All the information necessary to take Dungeness and red rock crabs from Oregon's Coastal Waters.

Evaluates the methods used to take Dungeness and red rock crabs.

Updated maps of Oregon's Bays that disclose the areas of Oregon's Bays where crabs are commonly caught.

Describes the innovative methods used to humanly kill Dungeness and red rock crabs.

Describes How to Shake Crabs. Recover a higher percentage of crab meat using the method professional crab shakers use.

Family recipes that your family will love. Our recipes emphasize using cooking methods that enhance the naturally sweet flavor of crab meat to its full potential. This year's new original recipe for Oregon's Crab Tacos is worth the price of the book.

Personalize your copy of Oregon's Clams with an autograph by the author by entering your name or the name of the person you are giving the book to in the appropriate box on the payment page.

Eighty five year old crabber, Stan wrote, "Thanks for a great book, Bill…..It answers all my questions and much more. I'll be using box traps off my boat in Winchester Bay for a while. Thanks, again, Stan"

Derek from Eugene writes, "Hey William, I wanted to just thank you for the new "crab max" traps that we received. We love them and they work great. Also the book "Oregon Crabs" is filled with helpful information. Thanks again Derek in Eugene"

The color edition of the 80 page book, Oregon's Crabs, describes the cyclical movement of crabs from our bays, identifies the most productive baits and the most innovative and productive methods used to take crabs from Oregon's Coastal waters using crab pots, crab rings, crab snares and the most effective Crab Max folding crab trap. The book describes how to humanly kill, clean and cook crabs and shake crab. My family looks forward to preparing the recipes in the book each time we go crabbing especially when the catch includes Oregon's native red rock crabs. Click HERE to order information to purchase Oregon's Crabs for $13.00.

CRAB WATCH

Clam Watch has started a Discussion Forum to broaden the scope of our service to clam diggers and crabbers. The discussion forum will add a new dimension to the ability of clam diggers to relate their experiences to one another.

RELATED LINKS OF INTEREST FOR CRABBERS

Click on the following links for additional information about taking crabs in the Pacific Northwest. Click on ODFW's website crab page or click HERE to view Washington States information on recreational crabbing or click HERE to view California's information on recreational crabbing. Click HERE to view Alaska's comments on Dungeness Crabs. Click HERE to view Dungeness Crabs at Netarts Bay. Click HERE to view a video of cleaning Dungeness crabs. NOAA Tide Tables for you area.

Even though it seldom occurs marine toxins can develop in crabs. Be sure crab safe. Always call the shellfish Hotline at (503) 986-4728 or 1-800-448-2474 toll free outside of Oregon before harvesting clams or mussels for messages listing the areas closed to harvesting shellfish due to high levels of marine toxins. The information displayed on the ODA Shellfish Hotline Website or the ODFW Recreational Report websites may or may not be up to date and the information posted there may not be accurate and CANNOT be trusted. ODFW Shellfish Regulations, and the link to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's OHV for ATV Enthusiast.